


We'll Love Again

by lemoncrystals



Series: Spinearl Gemling [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Gem Egg Hell, Gem Pregnancy, Gemlings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2020-10-28 22:38:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20786201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemoncrystals/pseuds/lemoncrystals
Summary: Spinel finds out she's carrying hers and Pink Pearl's gemling.Spinel has her anxieties about the incubation process but she’s lucky to have some friends and her partner to help her through this.Does her pregnancy go smoothly? Will she be able to overcome the dark thoughts that lurk and threaten her incubation period? Will the gemling be ok? Can she do this?Stay tuned!





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> As of Dec. 12, I’ve been receiving so many positive responses to my story so far! I originally wasn’t going to post this, scared of the reaction it might get. However, I have received nothing but positivity and excitement over my little project! Thank you to those sticking around and thank you to new readers for coming across this! I update slowly so don’t worry! I appreciate your patience and your kind words!

Spinel drummed her fingers against her abdomen, feeling a fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was laying in the soft pink bed that she shared with Pink Pearl, waiting for her to come back from her duties. Spinel was nervous, anxious actually as she flipped onto her side, holding her stomach. Over the thousands of years she had spent alone, waiting and wondering if she would ever be an important gem to someone, she knew that at this moment, another gem would see her as so. Spinel was forming a new life, a gemling she had created with Pink Pearl, right from within her gut. She never imagined she would be capable of forming a new life, yet here she was, one hand on her stomach and the other steadily pulling at one of her pigtails.

Spinel had been hit with a gradual wave of fatigue over the past couple of weeks and just did not have the energy for her usual clownery. The Diamonds had noticed and were worried that they might have done something wrong and were possibly pushing Spinel away just like they did with Pink Diamond. Yellow was the first to check on Spinel, attempting to pry and see whether Spinel was upset with them. Spinel only responded with a yawn, stating that everything was fine and promptly left. Blue was the second to check in on Spinel and only received Spinel breaking down in tears out of the blue and Blue wasn’t even the one to stir on the tears. White was last and impatient about the whole ordeal, bluntly asking if the Diamonds did anything wrong. Once again, Spinel shook her head and waved her off, complaining of her head throbbing annoyingly and painfully. The Diamonds were at a loss, worried about their Spinel. She was acting more erratic than usual but thought that giving her space would bring her back to her normal, goofy self instead of prying any further.

Spinel only began to suspect something was wrong with her when she had caught glimpse of a low bump in a mirror. She knew she hadn’t voluntarily formed it and upon inspection, it was firm. She grew suspicious and worried, thinking that maybe it was an after effect from the bio poison many moons ago. That might explain why she had been feeling tired and have been receiving those pounding headaches lately. She was terrified that it would lead to catastrophic results and immediately went to the aid of Yellow and Blue Pearl, seeing if they could help her in any way. That was until the pair brought out an old book, flipping through its contents to match Spinel’s symptoms. However, it didn’t seem to be a bio poisoning—it was another thing that hadn’t been seen since before Era 1. A formation of a new gem without the use of a kindergarten but rather incubating within another gem. A rather primitive method that hadn’t been in use for millennia which Spinel was now displaying.

“Who partook in the other half of incubating the gem?” Yellow Pearl had asked. Spinel stayed quiet, well aware of who was this gemling’s other parent. She hesitated to say and immediately walked out, holding her hand to her stomach. She felt queasy, anxious, confused, and overall terrified. She didn’t know how Pink Pearl was going to react and was petrified at the thought of Pink Pearl leaving her behind just like Pink Diamond did with her. She had rushed into their shared bedroom and collapsed onto the soft bed, attempting to hold back tears. Did she have to reveal that she was carrying? Would she react positively? Would she have to get rid of it if the reaction was strongly negative? Could she do this alone? The thoughts swarmed through her head and she yanked on her pigtails, burying her face into the sheets. She attempted to hold back her sobs, panicking about the future discussion she was about to have with Pink Pearl.

Spinel had calmed down slightly and was now just agonizingly waiting for Pink Pearl to arrive so they could talk about this future endeavor. She wrapped her arms around herself for comfort as she heard the door creak open and in step, Pink Pearl. Pink Pearl could sense the tension in the room and closed the door behind her before approaching the pink gem on the bed.

“Spinel? Is everything alright?” Spinel sat up, still holding herself. She sighed before she spoke up.

“Pearl, we need to talk.” Pink Pearl sat on the edge of the bed, hands in lap.

“Pearl…how much do you love me?”

“Oh Spinel, very much so.” As she said that, her hand went up and caressed one of Spinel’s cheeks. Spinel sighed in content as she pushed her cheek into her hand. However, tears started to prick at the corner of Spinel’s eyes as she placed one hand on top of Pink’s, squeezing it gently. Pink Pearl noticed this and cupped both of her cheeks, wiping away the tears with her thumbs.

“Spinel, what’s going on? Are you alright?” Spinel sniffled before responding, a hitch in her throat.

“No.” More tears rolled down her cheeks as she held Pink’s hands. Pink Pearl pulled Spinel in, holding her close to her chest and began to stroke the back of her head.

“Spinel, it’s alright. I’m here.” She placed a kiss on the top of her head and snuggled Spinel close; Spinel was breathing shakily, but tried to focus on the warmth that radiated off of Pink. She nuzzled herself into Pink’s chest, taking in the scent of cotton candy and sea salt. Her presence was comforting and felt more at ease to finally talk. Spinel pulled away and grabbed Pink’s hands, intertwining their fingers together. She took a breath and exhaled before looking up at her.

“Pearl, I’m carrying _our_ gem.” Spinel was looking off to the side, awaiting a response from Pink, but upon meeting her eye, she noticed that it was sparkling and her face was slightly flushed a light pink.

“Pearl—“ Spinel was suddenly enveloped in Pink’s arms as she held her tightly, laughing softly.

“Spinel! This is wonderful! Our very own gemling. I dreamed about this for millennia!” She pulled away, leaving behind a bewildered Spinel.

“You’re not upset?”

“Upset? Why would I be upset? This is wonderful news!” Spinel’s eyes twinkled and she felt herself smile widely before wrapping her arms around the pink gem and squeezing their cheeks together.

“This is so great! I was so worried that you wouldn’t be happy about this.”

“Aw Spinel. I’m _very_ happy. Our own little gemling. A creation of our love.” She stated softly while intertwining her fingers with Spinel’s. She gently caressed the top of her hand with her thumb and raised it to her lips, giving it a quick peck.

“She’s going to be so loved cause she’s going to have a gem that has the biggest heart.” Spinel blushed at the compliment and held Pink’s hands to her cheeks again. Pink chuckled slightly and leaned in, kissing Spinel’s cheek.

“I love you, Spinel and I cannot wait for our lives to change for the better.” Spinel smiled a little and noticed Pink Pearl relocating herself to Spinel’s lap. She laid her hand on the bump and squealed slightly.

“Our little gem, she’s growing!” Spinel chuckled a bit as she laid a hand on Pink’s bun, tracing the spiral shape of it with her finger. Spinel wasn’t sure why she was so worried; Pink was lovely and obviously adored her and their soon-to-be gemling. However, there was one question that bothered Spinel: how does one go about raising a gemling and how will carrying this gemling go?


	2. Process of Gemling Incubation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel and Pink Pearl find old documents describing how a gemling develops.

After announcing the incubation of their soon-to-be little gemling, Spinel had to get some information on the process of growing a gem. Sadly, she would have to return to Yellow and Blue Pearl as they were the ones that helped in figuring out that she was carrying a gem in the first place. However, considering that Pink Pearl had most likely been around longer, she would have knowledge of this primitive behavior. They were laying in their shared bed together with Pink still cuddled up against Spinel’s small bump. She was rubbing little circles into the bump while Spinel was holding herself up with one hand, the other caressing Pink’s cheek.

“Hey Pearl?” Pink Pearl hummed in question, her face still rested up against Spinel’s lower abdomen.

“You don’t happen to know about the times before Era 1, do you?”

“Like what?” She perked up slightly.

“You know, like when gems used to incubate other gems before introducing the whole kindergarten thingamabob.” Pink hummed to herself as she pondered the question. She sat herself up and turned herself, looking over at Spinel.

“That was quite a while ago. I’m not exactly sure if I remember. Although, I do remember we did write down the event of when it occurred and how effective it was.” Spinel sat herself up and wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them close to her chest.

“You don’t happen to remember where it was written down, do you?” Pink Pearl chuckled a bit to herself before crossing her arms over her chest.

“More than likely, it’s in White Diamond’s library. That’s where she keeps a majority of the older material that cannot be withheld by our newer technological advancements. We fear the older material might corrupt the newer files so they’re kept separated from the rest of the library. Let me guess, you want me to go find it?” Spinel nodded.

“You’re the only one with access to that part of the library anyways, right?”

“Well, you’re not wrong but wouldn’t the Diamonds start to get suspicious? Do they even know—“ Spinel shook her head and hugged her legs tightly as she wrapped around them twice more.

“You’re kind of the only person I told. Well, besides Yellow and Blue Pearl.”

“You told Yellow and Blue before me?”

“N-No! I mean, kind of. But that’s because they were helping me figure out why I was feeling so weird lately. I swear.” Spinel twiddled with her thumbs as she shyly looked from behind her knees up at Pink Pearl. Pink Pearl sighed and placed a hand on top of Spinel’s head.

“Are you ever planning on telling the Diamonds or are you just gonna let them figure it out for themselves?” Spinel rolled her eyes from side to side before looking down at her thumbs and twiddling them again.

“I don’t know. I wanna try and figure—“ Spinel gestured towards her belly vaguely, “this thing out before I really go out announcing anything to the Diamonds.” Pink Pearl nodded in agreement.

“That is true. We would want to have a little background on this matter, especially since this hasn’t been done in a millennium.” Spinel rested her chin on her knees.

“Why did we stop incubating gems?”  
“Well it was a rather slow process. Quite inefficient even if we divided it among other gems. Plus there were…_complications_.”

“What kind of…_ complications_?” Spinel had unraveled her arms from around her knees and placed them beside her on the bedsheets.

“From what I remember, it had something to do with our light projections but I cannot say for sure. Again, it’s all written down. I just need to find it and it should answer all of our questions, ok?” Spinel nodded. Pink Pearl flashed a small smile and leaned in, pressing a kiss to Spinel’s forehead.

“I will be right back then.” Spinel felt a certain tightness in her chest when Pink uttered those words. Pink could sense that something was wrong and remembered that Spinel had issues being left alone. Fearing that she would take long trying to find the necessary documents, she reached out and grabbed Spinel’s hand.

“Why don’t you come with me instead?” Spinel felt a sense of relief as she squeezed Pink’s hand and nodded.

The pair had arrived in the library where Pink made her way down one of the aisles. Spinel had stayed behind, watching from afar as Pink waved her hands over the records, contemplating on picking the right document. Spinel played with her fingers and observed her surroundings—shelves filled with old data that towered over the small gem. She didn’t think that there would be so much material before the introduction of Era 1 then again she exactly hadn’t been around for long. She felt a chill run down her spine and had the urge to protect the developing bump as she quickly made her way to Pink Pearl, clinging onto her.

“How much longer, Pearl?” She gripped Pink’s delicate shoulders, looking towards the end of the aisle nervously. Pink had removed a large folder from the stack and held it close as she skimmed its contents.

“I found it. We can head back now.” Spinel sighed in relief.

“Finally.” As Pink made her way down the aisle, Spinel followed in tow.

“I don’t know how you can just waltz in and out of here. This place is so creepy.”

“I’ve worked for White Diamond for many years now. It doesn’t phase me as much anymore. Though, I concur that it still maintains its creepy atmosphere.”

“I don’t like it.” Spinel announced, still trailing closely behind Pink.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost out of here.” Pink reassured. Spinel felt the bubbling anxiety within her chest as the enveloping darkness reminded her too much of the garden. The only difference was that there were stars that illuminated the night sky—this was too dark for her liking. She felt a sense of impending doom with each step she took but felt somewhat at ease with Pink Pearl by her side. Pink’s buns bounced slightly with each step she took and there was a faint rustling coming from the folder she held in her arms. Spinel held onto Pink’s shoulders tightly and focused on the bounce of Pink’s curls. She hadn’t noticed that they had exited the dark room when she got hit by a hint of light from the outside that ended up sparking a pounding pain in Spinel’s head.

“We made it out!” Pink announced as she turned to look at Spinel, who was shielding her eyes from the light.

“Great—can we go back to our room now?” Pink chuckled and grabbed Spinel’s free hand, walking the pair back to their shared room.

Pink had dimmed the lights for Spinel who laid in bed with a rag pressed to her forehead. Pink made herself comfortable, crossing her legs and open the file within her lap. She flipped through the contents, quickly skimming through the information as she searched for keywords that would help them in raising their little gemling. Pink glanced over at Spinel, the rag covering her eyes.

“You doing alright, Spinel?” Spinel peeked through the rag, squinting a bit.

“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just lingering right now and it’s really annoying.”

“You poor thing. I feel kind of bad, considering that you’re the one carrying.” Spinel sat up, still holding the rag to her forehead.

“Nah, don’t. I don’t mind. Plus I don’t think you’d be capable to carry anyways.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Pink asked, placing a hand on her hip.

“Well—“ Spinel gestured vaguely to Pink’s form, “—you know.” Pink gasped audibly.

“It may be true but I don’t appreciate it being pointed out.” She puffed out her chest while Spinel chuckled a bit, removing the rag from her forehead.

“Now, I have skimmed through the documents and may have found what we are looking for. They were preserved quite well.” Pink took out a couple of pages and laid them on the bed. Spinel grabbed one of the pages, quickly eyeing it over.

_“…the incubation of new gems has been demonstrated amongst the lower life population and has proven difficult. In order for the proper development of the new gem, proper nutrients and a regulated temperature are necessary. Depending on the gem, these so called gemlings will all require a different plan of care. However, a majority of these gemlings require heat, pressure, and energy. Gems that are the carriers will experience symptoms of fatigue, pain, elevated temperature, and regurgitation. In order to provide the gemling with proper nutrition, a gem must be able to shapeshift an organic digestive system and scavenge for minerals (ex. Silicates, oxides, carbonates, phosphates, etc.). If symptoms prove to be severe, gems will be out of commission until the emergence of the gemling. Maximum stress of the gem carrier could lead to the metamorphic shift of their gemling, resulting in an elevated temperature and an intense pressure that could potentially alter the gemling’s form or dematerialize completely. To ensure of a proper gem development and incubation, the carrier must maintain proper care provided by the [REDACTED]. Stress reduction, mineral consumption, and temporary dormancy are some of the ways to maintain a robust incubation period and a perfectly cut gemling.”_

Spinel’s head was spinning at the description and she looked over at Pink Pearl with begging eyes.

“Pearl, what does this even mean?” Spinel asked as she handed the paper over to Pink. She skimmed through it quickly before looking back at Spinel with a smile.

“This is just describing that the gemling will need a proper temperature, pressure, and energy in order to form. And in order to do that, it will result in you feeling tired, hungry, maybe a little crampy, you know? And you need to take care of yourself in order to ensure of a healthy and happy gemling. That’s all.”

“I feel so stupid. I didn’t pick up on any of that!”

“No worries. These documents are pretty old so the vocabulary can be quite confusing.” Spinel huffed and threw herself onto the bed, shielding her eyes with her arm.

“I’m still confused!”

“About what?”

“This in general. I may be too stupid for this gemling.” Pink Pearl sighed and collected the documents, setting them in a pile off to the side of the bed. She laid herself beside Spinel and pulled her arm away from her eyes.

“Spinel, it’s going to be okay. I don’t think you’re stupid. This is fairly new territory, considering it’s been over thousands of years since the process has been done.” Pink reached over and placed a hand on her cheek, caressing it gently with her thumb.

“Remember, you’re not going to be alone in this. I’ll be right by your side throughout the whole thing. Ok?” Spinel glanced up at Pink, before taking a breath and placing her own hand on top of Pink’s.

“Ok. Thank you, Pearl.” Pink smiled and leaned in, pressing a kiss to Spinel’s lips.

“This gemling is going to be so taken care of. She will be the healthiest and happiest little bundle of light. You’ll see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have no idea how much research went into that little description! I did research on the human pregnancy, egg incubation, and gem formation. I'm in too deep lmao


	3. The Dream, the Nightmare, the Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel falls into a deep sleep and ends up back in the garden. Although it isn't what she had remember it to be and starts to have doubts about being fit to take care of their gemling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Brief mention of miscarriage

Spinel and Pink Pearl stayed up a majority of the night, studying the documents, absorbing all the material in preparation for what was to come. Spinel let out an audible yawn and stretched her arms above her head. Pink Pearl glanced over at her, papers still in hand.

“Aw Spinel, you should be getting some rest. I can keep looking through this.” Spinel waved a hand, still yawning.

“No, no, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” She rubbed at her eyes that were pricking with tired tears. Pink hummed a bit, setting the papers in a stack in front of her. She reached over Spinel and pulled the pastel pink blanket over her, carefully tucking her in. Spinel was unable to protest as she felt the slumber wash over her and her eyelids shut close, feeling Pink’s dainty fingers running through her hair.

She felt like she was floating on air—a warmth swaddling her as she batted her eyes open and realized that she was back in the garden. The garden was no longer lifeless as the forget-me-nots and the red spider lilies sprung to life and the butterflies fluttered around her head. She raised her hand and allowed one of the butterflies to land on her finger. The gradients of pinks and oranges flittered upon her finger and she watched as the butterfly flapped away towards the vine covered pillars. It was just as she had remembered it—so lively and soft. She began to stroll around the garden, running her hands over the bushes of flowers and grazing them over the sturdy pink pillars. She kneeled in front of one of the bushes and plucked a forget-me-not, twirling it between her fingers. She sat back and looked up towards the starry sky, reminiscing of her times that she would count the stars, waiting for Pink Diamond. There were just so many stars and she always seemed to lose count. She decided to try and count them again, starting from the middle and working her way around. She connected the dots and tried to find faces amongst the stars once the counting began to bore her. She sighed with content, as she laid back in the grass, forget-me-not still in hand, and watched the stars shoot across the dark blanket of a sky. That was until the dark blue turned into a fiery magenta and fuchsia blend—quickly, she sat up and began to see the flowers wilting quickly and the pillars crumbling into ash. The grass shot up in length and tangled around her limbs, slowly pulling her into the ground. She struggled, attempting to break free from its hold but the pull only grew tighter. Vines began to appear and slithered up her legs, wrapping around her waist. The vines continued to grow as they wound around her abdomen and began to constrict itself. She felt the thorns being forcefully applied to her stomach and felt tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. The vines continued to crawl up her body and wound itself around her chest, constricting once more. Spinel attempted to scream but could only muster a gasp as her chest tightened and felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and a warm liquid dripping down her thighs. She gasped softly and hoarsely said to herself,

“No, no, no! I’ve already lost Pink Diamond, I can’t lose my baby too!” She continued to struggle against the vines, but could already feel herself losing the strength to carry on. She felt the tears roll down her cheeks and she began to sob softly.

“I can’t lose her too.”

_I can’t lose her too._ Spinel awoke in a cold sweat, huffing harshly as she pushed herself to sit up. She immediately removed the blanket from her torso and sighed a breath of relief as her bump was still present. She placed a hand over it and rubbed circles into it with her thumb.

“Thank the stars you’re still here.” Spinel ran her fingers through her hair, taking a slow breath. She ruffled her hair a bit, realizing that they weren’t in their usual ponytails, and assumed that Pink had taken them out after she passed out. _Pink_. Spinel glanced to the side and saw that the other side of the bed was unoccupied. She figured that she had been beckoned by White Diamond and had to go perform her duties. Although she was aware of a Pearl’s objectives, it still made her feel lonely, knowing that she would have to be by herself during those times. However, she wasn’t entirely alone. Still, Spinel didn’t want to spend her day in the room, so she got up from the bed, attempted to fix the sheets, and walked out of the bedroom. She hugged herself as she walked through the large corridor—she always felt uneasy walking through the corridors, due to its vast size and how it made her feel inferior. She felt so small, so alone—she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes again and wiped them away quickly. Suddenly, she heard some soft voices coming from one of the rooms and immediately was drawn to it. She peeked through the crack of the door and saw the Pearls congregated in one area. She saw Pink Pearl softly speaking to Yellow and Blue Pearl, holding the folder in the crook of her arm. What exactly was she talking to them about? Her thoughts were interrupted when Blue Pearl opened the door, catching Spinel off guard.

“Well, look who’s up?” Yellow declared, smirking slightly. Spinel felt the flush cover her cheeks as Pink looked over and smiled.

“Spinel! Come join us—I have some wonderful news.” Spinel shyly strode past Blue Pearl and stood somewhat behind Pink, rubbing her arm.

“Um, what’s up?” Spinel asked. Pink turned towards Spinel, a smile painted on her porcelain face.

“Well, Yellow and I were talking and we believe that we have figured out a way to track the gemling’s development!” Spinel perked up upon hearing this.

“How so?”

“Well, the Amethysts that overrun the Zoo use this device to keep track of the Zooman babies and we think that we might be able to utilize the same technology, with a few tweaks, to track the gemling as well! Isn’t that exciting?” Spinel smiled slightly, still rubbing her arm.

“Yeah, it is. Um, can I actually talk to you?” Pink Pearl perked up a bit before nodding and handing the folder over to Yellow. Spinel and Pink walked out of the room, with Pink closing the door behind them.

“What is it that you wanted to talk about?” Spinel sighed and hugged her arms, glancing down at the ground.

“It happened again. Those realistic visuals. Those weird images.” Pink hummed in response.

“Were you back in the garden?” Spinel nodded.

“What happened this time?”

“Well, it was all normal until I was being pulled into the ground by these vines. They were suffocating me and…hurting me. They hurt our baby.” Spinel teared up a bit, hugging herself tightly.

“I’m scared that something will happen to our gemling and it’ll be my fault.” Spinel pushed the palm of her hands into her eyes, attempting to prevent the tears from flowing down her cheeks. Pink immediately wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly

“Spinel, it’s going to be alright. Nothing is going to happen to our gemling. I’m going to take care of you.” Pink pulled away and cupped Spinel’s cheeks, wiping her tears away with her thumbs.

“You’re safe here. You’re loved here. You’re going to be a great mama.” Spinel sniffled slightly and pushed her face against Pink’s hands. Pink chuckled a bit and leaned in, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Do you think seeing the gemling would make you feel a little better?” Spinel nodded.

Blue and Yellow Pearl had brought in the machine that was going to help in tracking and seeing the gemling’s development. Spinel was fidgeting with her fingers, anxious about what she was to see. Pink Pearl carefully grabbed one of Spinel’s hands and intertwined her fingers with Spinel’s, attempting to comfort the nervous gem. Spinel squeezed her hand gently as Yellow approached her.

“Alright, appearance modifier, off.” Spinel was a little confused, before she figured out that she meant her top. She carefully rolled up her top, revealing her bump more clearly. Yellow whipped out a probe-like device, immediately making Spinel anxious once more. Pink scooted herself closely to Spinel, still holding onto her hand and rested her chin on Spinel’s shoulder. Spinel’s cheeks flushed a dark pink, returning the gesture as she leaned her head against Pink’s. Yellow pressed the probe-like device against Spinel’s bump whilst Blue switched on the screen, displaying a static-like background. Yellow maneuvered the device across Spinel’s bump, concentrating on a specific location where something could be displayed upon the screen. Blue spoke up when she saw a flash of light across the screen.

“Yellow, wait! Go back a little—yes, right there!” Upon the screen was a soft, blinking light that slowly began to take form. Spinel and Pink Pearl looked up at the screen and immediately felt a pull at their hearts as they saw their little gemling taking form. The gemling seemed to have a general idea of a form, but the details were lacking. Pink leaned up against Spinel’s cheek, pressing a kiss into it.

“See? She’s doing alright.” Spinel was awestruck by the image and couldn’t help but produce a small smile before responding with a “yeah.” Spinel felt relieved, finally being able to see the gemling she was carrying, knowing that she was doing just fine. She seemed to be forming steadily and hopefully she would be able to see how she will fully form—would she have Pink’s smile or would she have Spinel’s humor? Would she have Pink’s nose or will she have Spinel’s gem? The options were endless as to what the gemling would choose to look like—all Spinel hoped for was for her baby to grow up to be the most loved it can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a bit to write as I was trying to figure out what to implement into it. It ended up being mostly angsty and I feel like it could have been done better but I tried my best to give this chapter a happy ending so as to be able to continue with more happy endings!


	4. My Diamonds!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel decides to finally tell the Diamonds.

Spinel stood outside of the ballroom, where the Diamonds were waiting for her daily entertainment. The Diamonds hadn’t bothered Spinel ever since the symptoms first arose and were excited to be able to see her happy, goofy self again. Spinel was twiddling her fingers nervously as she had discussed with Pink Pearl earlier that she thought it would be appropriate to finally tell the Diamonds. She sighed, her back against the ballroom’s doors, and her hands through her hair. She took a breath and exhaled, fixing her pigtails and adjusting her puffy sleeves.

“Ok Spinel, you can do this. No need to be nervous. The Diamonds adore you!” Spinel looked down, her bump was slightly concealed by her puffy shorts. She placed her hand on top of the bump before continuing.

“They’re going to adore you too.” Spinel puffed her chest outwards and pushed through the ballroom doors. Upon entering the ballroom, the Diamonds erupted in unison.

“Spinel!”

“So glad to have you back.” Yellow said.

“We’ve missed you!” Blue added.

“We have been craving your presence! It’s been so lonely here in the ballroom.” White bellowed. Spinel chuckled a bit as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“Aw, I’m sorry, my Diamon_nnn_ds.” Spinel stretched out her words and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Well, I’m back now and to recognize my return, I have a special game for you, my Diamonds!” The Diamonds leaned in simultaneously, taking interest in Spinel’s newest activity.

“Allow me to explain how this works. I tell you how many words you have to guess, then you have to guess what the word is as I act it out. Sound simple enough?” Before Blue and Yellow could interject, White threw out her hands.

“Oh this will be splendid! Please do show us, Spinel.” Blue and Yellow looked at one another before shrugging and agreeing with White. Spinel smiled widely before holding up two fingers.

“Two words.” Spinel nodded. She held up a finger and then tapped on her gemstone.

“Spinel?” Yellow said with a confused tone.

“Spinel!” White exclaimed. Spinel shook her head and tapped on her gemstone again.

“Oh, I believe she’s pointing at her gem.” Spinel nodded fervently.

“Ah yes! Gem is the word!” White asserted. Blue sighed quietly to herself, realizing that White was going to overshadow her and Yellow yet again. Spinel giggled a bit before holding two fingers again. She cradled her arms and pretended to rock something. All the Diamonds were now dumbfounded, trying to figure out what Spinel was trying to act out.

“Are you trying to act out a gem type? Is it a Ruby? A Peridot?” Yellow suggested.

“Is it a hug?” Blue uttered sweetly.

“Is it a lower life form?” White declared. Spinel shook her head and thought to herself of how to act out the second word. She snapped her fingers and placed her hands close together, leaving a small gap between them. Blue perked up.

“Oh! Is it little?” Spinel nodded again and tapped her fingers together.

“Little gem?” Yellow questioned.

“Is it you, Spinel?” Blue asked. White clasped her hands.

“Spinel is the little gem!” Spinel sighed, thinking that charades probably wasn’t the best option to announce the pregnancy.

“My Diamonds, you are right that the words are little gem, but it’s not me. Rather it’s what’s…inside of me.”

“Inside of you?” Blue questioned the pink gem. There was a moment of silence before White audibly gasped.

“Spinel, are you incubating a gem?” Blue gasped, covering her mouth slightly.

“Gem incubation—I haven’t heard that since Era 1.” Yellow announced.

“I thought we got rid of that millennia ago.” Blue added. Spinel suddenly felt that fluttering in her stomach return as she feared that the Diamonds wouldn’t reciprocate the same feelings that Pink Pearl had about the gemling. Her hands wrapped around her little bump protectively as she awaited the Diamonds’ response to the news. White Diamond stood from her throne and kneeled to the floor—she stretched out her finger and gently pushed it under Spinel’s chin.

“Spinel, I never thought I would ever see this in the recent Era. However, you certainly are one of a kind.” Spinel looked up and noticed that White was smiling.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh Spinel, we all adore you. And we will adore this little gemling as well.” Her finger stroked at Spinel’s ponytails and poked gently at her cheeks. Spinel giggled a bit and wrapped her arms around White’s finger in a hug. Yellow and Blue had joined White on the floor; Blue clasping her hands over her gem and Yellow crossing her arms over her chest.

“Spinel, you do realize the consequences of gem incubation? It’s rather dangerous—“

“And we don’t want anything happening to you.” Blue whimpered slightly. Spinel pouted a bit before she approached Blue and bounced onto her hair loop.

“My Diamond, no need to worry about lil ol’ me. The Pearls have been helping and taking care of me. I mean, how dangerous can it be?” Yellow slammed her hand down on the floor, causing the room to shake immensely.

“Spinel, you don’t understand! There is a reason why we use _kindergartens_ instead of individual gems. This was all documented and proven to be inefficient and even deadly to the incubating gem. This is a shattering waiting to happen!” Blue placed her hand on Yellow’s shoulder.

“Yellow, please.” Blue sighed and looked down at Spinel.

“Spinel, we are just trying to look out for you. It is true what Yellow says—that is why the kindergartens were created. Although, gem incubation is dangerous, it isn’t _impossible_.”

“Blue—“ Blue shushed Yellow before continuing.

“We just want you to be cautious, Spinel. We all care about you and want nothing bad to happen to you.” Spinel leaned against Blue’s gem and looked up at her.

“I know. I know the risks; I’ve read up on ‘em. I’ve accepted my responsibility to incubate this gem. I_ want_ to do this, my Diamond.” Blue sighed before petting Spinel’s head with her finger.

“If that’s what you want, then we will be here to support you. Right, Yellow?” Yellow grumbled slightly before sighing. She approached the pair and petted Spinel’s head with her finger as well.

“White was right—you really are one of a kind.” Spinel smiled a bit as Yellow and Blue continued to pet her head. White had finally joined the group, waving her arms and grabbing onto Spinel.

“Oh Spinel this is wonderful! We must celebrate—a ball! Let us have a ball to commemorate our newest addition.”

“A ball?”

“Oh yes! Plus it will give us the opportunity to bring back Steven!”  
_Steven_. Spinel had forgotten that she would also have to reveal the news to Steven as well. Being aware of their past, she was starting to get anxious once again. She still barely knew Steven and hadn’t seen him since the incident. Would his reaction be just as mellow as the Diamonds? Would his reaction be as excitable as Pink Pearl? She was beginning to become apprehensive and leaped out of White Diamond’s hands.

“Well I don’t wanna hold you back on planning and such, so I’ll just be heading out. Keep me in touch!” Before the Diamonds could respond, Spinel had rushed out of the room. Spinel pushed her back against the door, sighing and pulling on her ponytails.

“Why does this have to be so hard?” She glanced down at her bump.

“I don’t blame you, but hopefully you’ll make it easier.” Although she had stated that she would be taking responsibility for the incubation of her gemling, she couldn’t help but start to think about Yellow’s statement from earlier about how dangerous this might be. Would she actually be able to survive this? Blue did say that it was possible yet it had its consequences. Spinel hadn’t studied much into the consequences as she was more focused on revealing the news. Now she wondered: what exactly were the consequences? She knew that she would have to go back and look over the files once more. She started to make her way down the corridors, subtly protecting the growing bump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a much shorter chapter. I had some difficulty with this chapter as I tried to represent the Diamonds as best I could. I also struggled with writer's block. I hope the next chapter will be better. I hope you still enjoyed!


	5. My Spinel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a fluffy filler with Spinel and Pink Pearl

Spinel was lost in her thoughts after her meeting with the Diamonds—she was overwhelmed by the thoughts of possible consequences that could come with this pregnancy. Despite her skimming through the risk factors, she hadn’t given it much thought until Yellow had brought it up. She wasn’t sure if she should go to Pink for reassurance as she feared that she had bothered her enough over these last couple of days. The thoughts made her feel dizzy and the pain in her head returned. She pressed her back against the wall, her palms against her temples. Although she was standing still, it felt like the corridor was spinning—she had her eyes shut tight, but saw beams of lights streaking before her. Her head felt cloudy yet there was a pulsing pain directly behind her eyes. She slid to the floor, cradling her head in her lap and running her fingers through her ponytails, hoping that the pain would subside. All she could hear was her shallow breathing and a faint ringing in her ear as distorted footsteps approached her.

Spinel’s heavy lids opened slowly in a dark room; her forehead was damp. She heard the door open and a line of light entered the room. Soft footsteps approached her and she glanced over at the figure before her.

“Oh, you’re awake. How do you feel?”

“Pink…what happened?” Pink reached over and retrieved the wet cloth that was placed on Spinel’s forehead. She turned slightly and dipped the cloth into a bowl of water on the bedside table.

“The Pearls found you in the corridors, sitting on the floor, holding your head. You were mumbling about being dizzy and your head hurting.” Pink wringed out the excess water from the cloth and folded it, placing it back on Spinel’s forehead. She laid a hand on Spinel’s cheek, tenderly stroking it with her thumb.

“They helped bring you back to the bedroom and told me that it was the stress that was giving you this kind of pain. Did the Diamonds cause this?” Spinel perked up a bit.

“Oh no! No, they were pretty happy. Excited, actually.”

“Well, that’s great—“ Spinel shook her head.

“Hm? It’s _not_ great?” Spinel sighed and turned onto her side, the cloth flopping onto the pillow near her head. She started drawing circles on the sheets.

“Some of the Diamonds had…_concerns_.” Spinel looked down and continued to paw at the sheets.

“They kept talking about how dangerous this was and how it was a shattering waiting to happen.” Pink frowned slightly before climbing into the bed and resting her body up against Spinel’s—she wraps her arms around her waist, carefully cupping her bump and rests her cheek against Spinel’s cheek.

“Spinel, they’re just worried about you. Albeit, the way it was said was not the best.” Spinel hummed in agreement. Pink grabbed the side of Spinel’s face and carefully turned it towards her, making Spinel look at her.

“They’re just trying to look out for you, just like me. We care about you, Spinel, and we only want the best for you during this incubation period.” She placed her hand back on the bump, caressing it lovingly. Spinel felt her cheeks get warm and a small smile painted across her face. She placed a gloved hand on Pink’s cheek, pushing their cheeks together.

“You always seem to know the right thing to say.” She pressed a kiss into her cheek before placing her hand on top of Pink’s. She gently interlocked her fingers with Pink’s and felt strands of her hair tickle the back of her neck. She felt Pink’s warm breath against her cheek and her slim leg wrapped around her own in a protective yet comforting way. She realized that her and Pink Pearl hadn’t cuddled in a while since they were often going their separate ways throughout the day—Spinel with the Diamonds and Pink with the other Pearls. The last time they cuddled this closely was many moons ago—for the first time, they were able to be in the same room together as they didn’t have any errands to run nor anyone to entertain. The Diamonds were visiting Earth at the time, wanting to oversee the construction of Little Homeworld, leaving Spinel to her own devices. Pink Pearl, on the other hand, wasn’t busy with the Pearls as they were planning on the next broadcast to announce the completion of Little Homeworld. Pink Pearl had returned to the bedroom and found Spinel practicing the acts she performed before the Diamonds. Pink insisted that Spinel take a break and try and relax since it was rare for the Diamonds to be this lenient on them. Spinel just shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed, asking what her and Pink Pearl should do. That was when Pink Pearl climbed into bed and told Spinel to join her. They intertwined with one another, arms wrapped around each other and legs tangled together. She remembered how warm she felt being so close to Pink. She remembered how soft her porcelain skin was when their legs were rubbing against each other ever so slightly. She remembered how tender their kisses was, feeling herself melt into Pink’s kisses and touches. Fingers laced with one another, a mixture of deep magenta and light pink hair tangled together, and hot breaths exchanged between the pair of pink gems. Spinel was beginning to blush at the flashback as she squeezed Pink Pearl’s hand.  
“Something on your mind?” Pink spoke up as she laid her chin against Spinel’s shoulder.

“Oh! Um, just thinking about _that night_.” Spinel sputtered as she attempted to hide her face in her hair. Pink Pearl giggled a bit as she pushed her hair out of Spinel’s face.

“You’re so cute when you get embarrassed.” She began to press kisses into Spinel’s face, causing Spinel to laugh.

“Pearl~!” The pair laughed in each other’s company as they held each other, Pink’s hand laid against Spinel’s bump. She rubbed little circles into the bump, kissing Spinel softly. Spinel felt so comfortable in Pink’s arms—she felt so appreciated and loved and wanted. A warmth enveloped her as she curled into Pink’s chest and allowed herself to finally relax, taking in her scent and nuzzling into her soft skin. Pink smiled as she continued to kiss Spinel’s forehead, cheeks, and nose. Her hand continued to draw circles until a distinctive bump drew Pink’s hand away.

“Spinel—“

“What was that?” Both Spinel and Pink Pearl sat up in the bed, their attention aimed at Spinel’s belly.

“Is something wrong with the baby?” Spinel asked anxiously, holding her hands to the bump. Pink rested her hands on top of Spinel’s, looking into her eyes.

“I just think someone is trying to get our attention.” Spinel looked down and felt the familiar bump against one of her hands.

“There it is again!” Pink giggled a bit as she lightly cupped Spinel’s chin.

“She seems to be doing just fine, considering that she’s moving now.”

“You sure?” Spinel asked, still doubtful. Pink nodded whilst pressing a kiss into her cheek.

“She’s making wonderful progress.” Spinel sighed with relief, her hand still pressed up against her belly. Their baby was growing and moving now and soon she would have to start thinking about preparation for her emergence. Although, there was still someone that needed to know and that meant that Spinel would have to visit Earth once again and reveal the news to none other than Steven Universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait y'all!  
This is more of a filler chapter than anything as I didn't know how to continue this. Enjoy the fluffiness! Hope this makes up for the wait!


	6. And Steven!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel goes down to Earth to tell the one and only Steven Universe the news.

It was a quiet day in Beach City as Steven made his way up to the conservatory to tend to his plants. Upon entering the conservatory, he was greeted by Lion who was curled up in his bed with a low huff. Steven approached him and stroked his mane.

“Hey buddy.” Steven stated as Lion purred slightly at the affection. Steven pulled his attention away from Lion as he approached the potted plants on the other side of the conservatory. He noticed that the leaves of his hibiscus flowers were beginning to wilt as he held the limp leaves within his fingers. He sighed, cursing himself as he had been busy with integrating the Homeworld gems into Little Homeworld, taking up most of his time and energy. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to one of its leaves; a small spark appeared and the hibiscus flowers plumped up, standing tall with its vibrant colors of pink and yellow once again. Steven couldn’t help but smile to himself as he grabbed the spray bottle nearby and spritzed the potted plant before turning his attention to the rose bushes. He hummed to himself as he trimmed the hedges, sprayed the rose petals, and shoveled in mulch into each pot. Lion eyed Steven as he walked from plant to plant, adjusting the soil and kissing their leaves when he noticed they were wilting. As Steven was adjusting the soil of one of his plants, the warp from behind him lit up, causing him to whip his head around, spray bottle and hedge clippers in hand. Once the light had cleared up, Spinel was shown standing on the warp, looking around before her eyes met with Steven’s.

“Spinel!” Steven exclaimed in a joyous tone, dropping the bottle and clippers before rushing over to her and bringing her in for a quick embrace. Spinel returned the embrace before pulling away and awkwardly rubbing her arm.

“What brings you back to Earth?” Steven asked as he wiped his hands off on his pants.

“Oh, you know, just wanted to stop by and see how things were. I heard Little Homeworld is active and thriving.” Steven chuckled a bit.

“Tell me about it. I spend most of my time there—I feel like I don’t really have time for myself.” He stated as he walked towards Lion and patted his mane. Spinel hummed in response, still standing near the warp. Steven spoke up once he noticed that Spinel hadn’t moved far from the pad and was slouching slightly.

“Spinel, you alright?” Spinel straightened her back and started nervously playing with one of her pigtails.

“Yeah! I’m great! Just thought we could…talk.” She looked at him and clasped her hands in front of her, casually concealing the growing bump. Steven walked up to her, hands in the pockets of his organic jacket.

“Sure. About what?” Spinel looked around the conservatory before she looked back at Steven.

“Is it ok if we talk about this somewhere else?” Steven looked around and shrugged before flashing a smile at her.

“Sure! We can go down to the boardwalk or the beach. You know, see how it is—“

“After the incident.” Spinel darted her eyes to the conservatory’s floor, squeezing her arm with much guilt. She felt the culpability sink into the pit of her chest, reliving the moments from before—the injection of the bio poison, the usage of the Rejuvenator against the Crystal Gems, reminiscing about the garden, the anger she felt bubbling in her chest towards Pink and Steven and the pain that eventually flowed over her over the realization that this wasn’t what she wanted. It made Spinel feel sick to her stomach, the fluttery sensation turning into more of a churning feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt Steven’s fingers curl around her arm as he brought her to; a worried look painted on his face.

“Spinel, it’s okay. It’s in the past. The best we can do is learn and grow from our mistakes.” She looked at him for reassurance, receiving a gentle smile in return. She responded with a small smile and uttered a shy “okay” before they walked out of the conservatory together.

Steven brought her to the porch of the Beach House, a refreshment in hand as they leaned over the railing, watching the clouds swirl and the sea crawl onto the beach. A warm breeze blew and messed with Spinel’s pigtails—she pushed back the strands that became loose and squinted at the horizon. Steven sipped what seemed to be an ice cold lemonade before asking,

“So, what did you wanna talk to me about?” Spinel placed a hand on her gem, taking a breath as she continued to look over the horizon.

“I know I’ve done some things to you in the past and sometimes they’re hard to overcome. But, I’m working on being the better gem. I want to show you that I’m capable of loving again and being a friend again. And…” She went quiet, clutching her gem tightly.

“Spinel, we’ve been over this and I appreciate that you’re working on it. Don’t worry about it.” Steven flashed his signature smile, taking another sip of his lemonade. Spinel sighed before turning towards him.

“Steven, I’m carrying a gem.” Steven choked back on his lemonade, setting the cup on the railing before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“What?” Spinel’s cheeks flushed and she strode over to the further seating, slumping into one of the chairs. Steven walked over to her, arms off to the side.

“What does that mean? Is that another fusion thing? Did you fuse?” Spinel scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.

“Not exactly.” She cleared her throat and patted the seat next to her; Steven plopped down next to her, hands in his lap. She clasped her hands together and glanced at him.

“I don’t know exactly how to explain this but,” Spinel twiddled her thumbs idly, “I am _incubating_ a gem, like—“

“Like a baby?” Steven spoke up.

“Um, yes.” Steven bounced from his seat and grabbed Spinel’s hand excitedly.

“Spinel! This is great news!” Steven exclaimed with stars in his dark eyes.

“Do you know what this means?” Spinel’s eyes roamed around a bit before looking back up at him, shaking her head slowly. He threw his hands up.

“Baby shower!”

“Baby shower?” Spinel questioned with eyebrows raised in confusion.

“Yeah! It’s a big celebration with food and games and you get presents for the baby!”

“Games?” The word rolled off of Spinel’s tongue, leaving a bad taste in her mouth but was still curious about this “celebration.” Although she still performed games with and for the Diamonds, Steven was still Pink Diamond’s son and she couldn’t help but still feel bitter about the connection.

“Yeah! But, it’s more about having fun and getting prepared for the baby.” Spinel hummed in response, placing her hands on her bump.

“Well, I’m all for preparing for this gem.” She looked up and saw the familiar stars in Steven’s eyes. She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.

“We can have this “baby shower” you speak of.” Steven squealed and grabbed his now warm glass of lemonade.

“I better start sending invites!” Steven continued to speak his thoughts out loud about his plans for the baby shower and walked into the house, his voice echoing from the inside. Spinel laughed to herself before leaning back in her seat. Steven reminded her so much of Pink Diamond—his cheeriness and his love for celebrations, much like Pink. She couldn’t help but reminisce of the better times with Pink Diamond and attempted to replace them with Steven instead. What would that be like? What would raising a baby be like? She was getting her mind all riled up with many questions that she would yet get the answer to. It seemed like her baby might have sensed it as it attempted to distract her with some more movement. Spinel protectively laid a hand near the top of the bump.

“Trying to get my attention again?” Her question was answered with a small thump against her hand. She slid her hand down the hump before speaking quietly.

“Looks like a lot of people are excited for your emergence…I hope I can be a good gem to you.” She was interrupted by Steven returning with two fresh, ice cold glasses of lemonade. He held out one of the glasses and she grasped it gingerly. She glanced into the cup before looking up at him.

“What’s this?”

“Lemonade! Try it.” She pressed the glass to her lips and took a small sip. It was tart yet sweet and she couldn’t help but drink some more from the glass. Steven sat back in his seat, drink in hand before speaking up.

“So, we gotta think over where the shower is going to be held, who to invite, what decorations to put up, what kind of food to offer—“

“Well, the Diamonds were already thinking of throwing me a ball so—“ Steven snapped his fingers.

“Of course! A baby ball! Where we will celebrate the arrival of Spinel Jr.” Spinel snorted a bit and looked at him.

“Spinel Jr.?”

“Yeah! A mini you! Will it even look like you? Or will you form a new gem entirely? How does that work?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out myself.” Steven shook his head before taking a sip of his lemonade.

“Nonetheless, this is going to be the greatest baby ball ever! The first in the entire universe.” The stars reappeared in his eyes as he smiled wide. Spinel giggled a bit before going back to her lemonade. They continued to discuss the plans for the baby shower with Spinel mostly sitting back as Steven babbled his ideas for it. She hadn’t felt so content since revealing the news to Pink Pearl and Steven was being so delightful in helping her plan this little celebration. She had a feeling that things were going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking along with my story! I hope y'all are enjoying it so far! I was so happy to finally write this chapter and introduce Steven. I hope I represented him well and he will be making more appearances in the future! Thanks so much for the love and support and I hope to update again soon!


End file.
